The Grand Hyatt Bogota opened, marking the first Hyatt hotel in the Colombian capital and the first Grand Hyatt branded hotel in Colombia. The 372-room property is located in the heart of Ciudad Empresarial Sarmiento Angulo commercial district, up the road from the Corferias and Ágora Bogotá convention centers, and minutes from the ultramodern Gran Estación Mall, El Dorado International Airport, and Bolívar Square.

The Waldorf Astoria Bangkok opened in the heart of Bangkok as the first Waldorf Astoria property in Southeast Asia. The 60-story hotel features 171 guest rooms and suites.

Columbus, Ohio’s North Market, dating to 1876 and located firmly within walking distance of the city’s major convention hotels and the Greater Columbus Convention Center, offers a full plate of eating and shopping choices, from the hot chicken craze to Vietnamese, Indian, Greek and Italian—among the United Nations-worthy selection of prepared foods—to fresh meats and sugary treats.

The Glen House hotel opened at the base of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. The property has historic roots in the state's White Mountains. The new hotel is the fifth iteration of The Glen House to be built near the site of the original hotel, a landmark that opened in 1852 as tourists began to flock to the summit of 6,288-foot Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast.

Chautauqua Harbor Hotel is now open on the shores of Lake Chautauqua in Celoron, N.Y. The newest addition to Buffalo-based Hart Hotels' Harbor Hotel Collection, Chautauqua Harbor Hotel brings a new level of luxury accommodations and world-class service to the region and is expected to draw visitors from around the world.

For many destinations, a year of unprecedented natural disasters coupled with urban challenges would deal a harsh blow on the business and tourism fronts, but California is not like most destinations. The state has weathered everything from massive fires in popular tourism draws to mudslides wiping out roads, bridges and parts of entire communities. Still, business is booming and the meetings sector flourishing throughout the Golden State, from the marquee cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles to the resort getaways of Lake Tahoe and Palm Springs.

For California, the past year has been a time of both upward momentum and daunting challenges.

Rockbridge acquired the historic Hilton St. Louis Downtown at the Arch hotel. The 195-room property will be managed by HEI Hotels and Resorts. Rockbridge plans to renovate the hotel with upgrades to the lobby along with guest rooms, resulting in an improved user experience for both business travelers and vacationers. This acquisition is the third property in the St. Louis area for Rockbridge.

Few regions are blessed with as many world-class options for meetings as Southern California. Its major urban hubs of Los Angeles, San Diego and Anaheim are first-tier convention destinations constantly staying on top of a competitive game with ever-improving venues, entertainment and more.

Embassy Suites by Hilton South Bend at Notre Dame is now open. The six-story building, which is owned by Kite Realty and managed by Hilton, includes 164 one-bedroom and studio suites, 9,000 square feet of conference and banquet space and a sixth-floor deck overlooking the University of Notre Dame campus. Traditions, an on-site, full-service restaurant offers seating for 180 people.